The present invention relates to methods and system structures for providing public and private telephone service over the Internet and more particularly relates to providing such services through the public telecommunications system including over existing copper telephone lines.
Attention recently has been directed to implementing voice telephone service over the worldwide network now commonly known as the Internet. The Internet had its genesis in U.S. Government (called ARPA) funded research which made possible national internetworked communication systems. This work resulted in the development of network standards as well as a set of conventions for interconnecting networks and routing information. These protocols are commonly referred to as TCP/IP. The protocols generally referred to as TCP/IP were originally developed for use only through Arpanet and have subsequently become widely used in the industry. TCP/IP is flexible and robust, in effect, TCP takes care of the integrity and IP moves the data. Internet provides two broad types of services: connectionless packet delivery service and reliable stream transport service. The Internet basically comprises several large computer networks joined together over high-speed data links ranging from ISDN to T1, T3, FDDI, SONET, SMDS, OT1, etc. The most prominent of these national nets are MILNET (Military Network), NSFNET (National Science Foundation NETwork), and CREN (Corporation for Research and Educational Networking). In 1995, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) reported that the Internet linked 59,000 networks, 2.2 million computers and 15 million users in 92 countries.
Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a simplified diagram of the Internet. Generally speaking the Internet consists of Autonomous Systems (AS) which may be owned and operated by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as PSI, UUNET, MCI, SPRINT, etc. Three such AS/ISPs are shown in FIG. 1 at 10, 12 and 14. The Autonomous Systems (ASs) are linked by Inter-AS Connections 11, 13 and 15. Information Providers (IPs) 16 and 18, such as America Online (AOL) and Compuserve, are connected to the Internet via high speed lines 20 and 22, such as T1/T3 and the like. Information Providers generally do not have their own Internet based Autonomous Systems but have or use Dial-Up Networks such as SprintNet (X.25), DATAPAC and TYMNET.
By way of current illustration MCI is both an ISP and an IP, Sprint is an ISP, and MicroSoft (MSN) is an IP using UUNET as an ISP. Other information providers, such as universities, are indicated in exemplary fashion at 24 and are connected to the AS/ISPs via the same type connections here illustrated as T1 lines 26. Corporate Local Area Networks (LANs), such as those illustrated in 28 and 30, are connected through routers 32 and 34 and links shown as T1 lines 36 and 38. Laptop computers 40 and 42 are representative of computers connected to the Internet via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) are shown connected to the AS/ISPs via dial up links 44 and 46.
The Information Providers (IPs) constitute the end systems which collect and market the information through their own servers. Access providers are companies such as UUNET, PSI, MCI and SPRINT which transport the information. Such companies market the usage of their networks.
In simplified fashion the Internet may be viewed as a series of routers connected together with computers connected to the routers. In the addressing scheme of the Internet an address comprises four numbers separated by dots. An example would be 164.109.211.237. Each machine on the Internet has a unique number which constitutes one of these four numbers. In the address the leftmost number is the highest number. By analogy this would correspond to the ZIP code in a mailing address. At times the first two numbers constitute this portion of the address indicating a network or a locale. That network is connected to the last router in the transport path. In differentiating between two computers in the same destination network only the last number field changes. In such an example the next number field 211 identifies the destination router. When the packet bearing the destination address leaves the source router it examines the first two numbers in a matrix table to determine how many hops are the minimum to get to the destination. It then sends the packet to the next router as determined from that table and the procedure is repeated. Each router has a database table that finds the information automatically. This continues until the packet arrives at the destination computer. The separate packets that constitute a message may not travel the same path depending on traffic load. However they all reach the same destination and are assembled in their original order in a connectionless fashion. This is in contrast to connection oriented modes such as frame relay and ATM or voice.
The Federal Networking Council (FNC) on Oct. 24, 1995 unanimously passed a resolution defining the term Internet. The defining portion of that resolution is as follows:
xe2x80x9cxe2x80x98Internetxe2x80x99 refers to the global information system thatxe2x80x94
(i) is logically linked together by a globally unique address space based on the Internet Protocol (IP) or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons""
(ii) is able to support communications using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons, and/or other IPO-compatible protocols; and
(iii) provides, uses or makes accessible, either publicly or privately, high level services layered on the communications and related infrastructure described herein.xe2x80x9d
Applicants use the term Internet herein in the sense of the FNC definition. The FNC Resolution is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
One or more companies have recently developed software for use on personal computers to permit two-way transfer of real-time voice information via an Internet data link between two personal computers. In one of the directions, the sending computer converts voice signals from analog to digital format. The software facilitates data compression down to a rate compatible with modem communication via a POTS telephone line. The software also facilitates encapsulation of the digitized and compressed voice data into the TCP/IP protocol, with appropriate addressing to permit communication via the Internet. At the receiving end, the computer and software reverse the process to recover the analog voice information for presentation to the other party. Such programs permit telephone-like communication between Internet users registered with Internet Phone Servers.
The book xe2x80x9cMastering the Internetxe2x80x9d, Glee Cady and Pat McGregor, SYBEX Inc., Alameda, Calif., 1994, ISBN 94-69309, very briefly describes three proprietary programs said to provide real-time video and voice communications via the Internet.
Palmer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,068, issued Dec. 20, 1994 for Video Teleconferencing for Networked Workstations discloses a video teleconferencing system for networked workstations. A master process executing on a local processor formats and transmits digital packetized voice and video data, over a digital network using TCP/IP protocol, to remote terminals.
Lewen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,374, issued Aug. 23, 1994 for Communication Network Integrating Voice Data and Video with Distributed Call Processing, discloses a local area network with distributed call processing for voice, data and video. Real-time voice packets are transmitted over the network, for example to and from a PBX or central office.
Hemmady et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,341, issued Sep. 18, 1990 for Integrated Packetized Voice and Data Switching System, discloses an integrated packetized voice and data switching system for a metropolitan area network (MAN). Voice signals are converted into packets and transmitted on the network. Tung et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,913, issued Jul. 18, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,247, issued Feb. 6, 1996, for Video Subsystem for Computer Based Conferencing System, disclose an audio subsystem for computer-based conferencing. The system involves local audio compression and transmission of information over an ISDN network.
Hemmady et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,160, issued Oct. 3, 1989, for Integrated Packetized Voice and Data Switching System, discloses an integrated packetized voice and data switching system for metropolitan area networks.
Sampat et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,568, issued Feb. 20, 1996, for Media Dependent Module Interface for Computer Based Conferencing System, discloses a media dependent module interface for computer based conferencing system. An interface connects the upper-level data link manager with the communications driver.
Koltzbach et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,754, issued Apr. 25, 1995, for Bi-Directional Wire Line to Local Area Network Interface and Method, discloses a bi-directional wire-line to local area network interface.
The system incorporates means for packet switching and for using the internet protocol (IP).
It is an object of the present invention to provide telephone service via the Internet to users of the public telecommunications network either with or without access to a computer and with or without separate telephone user access to the Internet.
It is another object of the invention to provide the general public with an economical and convenient telephone service via the Internet without requiring the possession of computing equipment or familiarity with the Internet or its methodology on the part of the user.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide the public with impulse access to the Internet for voice communications without requiring maintenance of a subscription to an Internet access service.
A public switched telephone network utilizing program controlled switching systems controlled by common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) and preferably an advanced intelligent network (AIN) CCIS network is arranged in an architecture to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without access to computer equipment and without the necessity of maintaining a subscription to any Internet service. Billing may be accomplished on a per call basis. The calls may be inter and intra LATA, region or state and may be nationwide. Usage is made of CCIS signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing. Calls may be made from telephone station to telephone station, from voice capable computer to voice capable computer, or from telephone to computer or computer to telephone.